The End Is Near
by helliswhatyoumakeit
Summary: "He's killing his way through the Riverton Eight. He'll get Jerome and Dunkelman, and he'll come for us," Leah explained and glanced at me. Bug/OC
1. The End Is Near

_Now I lay me down to sleep,  
I pray the Lord my soul to keep,  
If I shall die before I wake,  
I pray the Lord my soul to take._

With the click of the closing bedroom door, my eyes blinked opened. My room was dark, but the moon shining through my window gave me just enough light to get ready. I quickly switched out my shorts to tight ripped jeans. I pulled on my shoes and put a red zip-up hoodie over my black tank top. I moved my straight blonde hair over my shoulders. Small footsteps were heard in the hallway again, causing me to freeze. My mother always made sure I was in bed on this night, the night leading to Ripper Day.

It had finally been sixteen years since the killings here in Riverton, Massachusetts. A small town noteable for fishing, tourism, and the Riverton Ripper.

My mother's faint footsteps disappeared. The coast was clear. I exhaled, realizing the close call. This happened every year on my birthday. My mother didn't appreciate Ripper Day one bit, and she tried to her best to keep me away from the chaos, despite the fact that I was born on the night of the killings. I was one of the Riverton Eight.

I have atteneded the past few celebrations of the Ripper Day ever since I had met Alex Dunkelmen and Bug Hellerman two years ago. They were my only friends, and I was theirs. After being born, my single-mother moved us to New York. Once I had turned thirteen and she thought the town was safe, we moved back. No one knew who I was, or even bothered to find out. I was put into the same history class as Alex and Bug. I sat behind Alex, who had found an interest in my humor and shyness. I befriended both of the boys shortly after and not much has changed since.

The routine of sneaking out the night leading to my birthday was an easy one. Go to bed at ten, wait until my mother was asleep, get dressed, climb out my window, and book it to the old abandoned ambulance. I fixed the white strings on my hoodie to make them even and lifted my window beside my bed. I stuck a leg out and sat on the windowsill. My hands reached out and grasped a branch from the tall tree in our yard. I hoisted myself completely out of the room and took my time climbing down. My feet hit the ground with a soft 'thud' and I was off.

It was a short walk to the abandoned ambulance near the river from my house. It had become an easier task each year as I learned the twists and turns of the path in the dark woods. Although it was an exciting night, I always felt a hint of guilt when I would sneak out to join the other teens on this night. My mother wanted to keep me safe and out of trouble. Visiting the ambulance was far from safe. I usually listened to her and followed her rules, but this one had to be broken. It was a tradition that I simply could not miss out on.

I could hear the faint chatter and I knew it was almost time to begin. I made my way through the rest of the woods and found the group of teenagers standing around. The ambulance was lit up by white candles that were placed on the front, back, and top of the old vehicle and there was a small campfire going. The whole area was illuminated and full of my classmates. I searched for Alex's mess of brown curls and Bug's somewhat tall frame. I frowned when I couldn't find them.

"Lauren," my name was called by a familiar raspy voice. I turned to see Alex pushing through the crowd, making his way over. I met him halfway and smiled as he pulled me into a hug.

I was also greeted by Jerome King, another acquaintance, who was born blind. He could tell me apart by the small steps I took. I was around five feet, leaving me with shorter legs. My pace was fast because I had to keep up with my taller friends, but the soft tap of my shoes made it easy for Jerome to tell me apart.

Jay Chan spotted me across the gap of other teens. He struggled, but was able to find a spot next to us. I looked around to find the rest of the Eight. Penelope Bryte stood by herself. She flashed a smile to me, which I kindly returned. I wasn't close to Penelope, she spent most of her time talking about God and Christianity. Most people knew I wasn't a believer, yet Penelope still tried at random times to convert me into religion. But Penelope was the only girl that would listen to what I had to say. I wasn't apart of the infamous clan Fang Hellerman ordered around. I saw Brittany Cunningham with another group of friends, along with Brandon O'Neil, the 'leader' of the Riverton Eight. The only person missing was Bug.

"Where is he?" I quietly asked, Alex already knew who I was asking about. Jay looked around and shrugged. Alex assured me that Bug would be here soon. Our conversations were cut short by Brandon who had stepped out in the open. The countdown began as we looked across the river to the town of Riverton. At 'one', the lights flickered off. It was finally midnight.

"The lights... out!" he said as the area went dark. Everyone began cheering, I joined in and clapped my hands for a few seconds and let it die out before Brandon continued with his usual speech, "Let the day begin!"

"As you all know, Ripper Day marks two things, one of them bad one of them good."

The entire group nodded in agreement.

"The good part is, it's the birthday of eight of us here. Born sixteen years ago tonight. Jerome King. Hey, Jerome," Brandon pointed just before another applause.

"Alex Dunkelmen," Brandon continued. Alex threw a hand up to the crowd.

"Lauren Anderson," he said my name and I flashed a tiny smile.

"Jay Chan, our new Ripper puppet for tonight." The applause grew louder, as everyone loved the Ripper puppet.

"Bug Hellermen," he called out. The crowd was silent now. "Hellermen?" Brandon repeated.

The was a rustle of leaves behind us and Bug quickly appeared from it.

I caught myself smiling but stopped when I saw the look on Bug's face. He had a blank expression, his eyes looked tired, and his blond hair was a mess. Alex and I made room for him. Alex asked where he had been.

"Sleeping," Bug blinked and replied in his usual tone.

Brandon brought back everyone's attention by making a joke about him, "Bug takes a little longer 'cause he's a little slower."

Bug looked angry and hurt by the comment. He suffered from oxygen deprivation during birth and he was Schizophrenic. My mother had talked to his mother, May Hellerman, and she ended up mentioning it to me. I felt awful for Bug. People constantly teased all three of us, but Bug recieved the worst of it.

Brandon also cracked on Penelope's belief in God after introducing her. She rolled her eyes and listened to him introduce Brittany Cunningham as beautiful and gorgeous.

"And last, but of course not least," he stopped to let the crowd finish the sentence for him. He moved to flash his varisty jacket with a smirk on his face, "thank you, thank you. Thank you very much."

"Now, it's time for the bad part, people. We of the Riverton Eight have had to share our birthday with a monster. The serial killer, Abel Plenkov, who died at midnight the day we were born. It's The Ripper. Legend has it that we, the Riverton Eight, are the mirrors of Abel Plenkov's personalities. The ones that turned the Ripper in and that the Ripper still wants revenge."

We had heard this story at least a dozen times. I knew the real story behind it Abel Plenkov. It was the reason my mother had moved us to New York. But I never mentioned it to Bug. My mother made me promise not to. He didn't know he and his older sister were adopted by Sarah Plenkov's sister, May. I couldn't tell him even if I tried. It would break his heart, and Bug was already emotional to begin with.

_Abel Plenkov was Bug's father. He also suffered from Schizophrenia and split personalities. It was said that the night Plenkov was killed, the eight personalities left his body and entered the bodies of the eight children who were born prematurely upon his death. The hospital was busy and had their hands full, but Nurse Hellerman was able to pick up the phone. The EMT quickly described the story and injuries to May. She asked for a name, to which the EMT replied, 'Plenkov. Abel Plenkov.' May's stomach dropped after hearing the name of her brother-in-law, who had killed her sister and attempted to kill her niece, Leah, Bug's sister. May took custody of the two children that night. Leah was old enough to remember the entire night. To her, it was like the incident had just happened yesterday. It never left her mind. May hid the truth from Bug, and begged us to do the same._

My thoughts were interrupted by Brandon for the second time, "So, Abel Plenkov is dead, but his ghost isn't. And now it lurks under the old railroad bridge, you've all seen it."

We were all silent again.

"It sleeps in the river. It roams the darkest corner of the woods, just waiting for the next Ripper Day to come around. 'Cause on that day, our birthday—tonight—the devil has told him that he can take his revenge."

Brandon raised his voice, "_But_, he can only come out of the river at this spot." He turned to point at the bank where it had been said that the Ripper had escaped from the ambulance years ago. "And every year since we have been able, one of us Riverton Eight has volunteered to drive him back into the river where he belongs. And tonight is no exception!"

Through the obnoxious cheers, Brandon spoke up, "And I personally, have chosen to volunteer. To volunteer Bug Hellermen, that is," he said, pointing at Bug. "It's your turn, Bug. The rest of us have done it!"

I turned to look at Bug. He was frightened and he had turned pale. Everyone knew it was a puppet, but the damn thing was pretty realistic. Brandon was right though, the rest of us had already gone through with knocking down the puppet, even myself. It was Bug's turn.

"Now we must all summon the Ripper from the river and if he appears, yet again, then Bug must slay him, or we'll all die!" Brandon turned the dark river, "IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, RIPPER—MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN!"

I kept quiet while Alex started to yell along with the others until he looked at Bug, who was struck with fear.

The crowd continued to repeat Brandon's chant. "FEAR YE THE RIPPER!" Brandon yelled over all of us. The chant was returned again. Alex reached over to smack Jerome on the chest to stop him from shouting.

"What'd I do?" he asked, rubbing his chest.

"Bug's freaking out," Alex replied in an annoyed tone.

"FEAR YE THE RIPPER!"

There was a noise from the woods and every single one of us jumped. I looked away from Bug and felt my heartbeat speed up when I saw "The Ripper" emerge from the dark. I stepped back with the remaining Riverton Eight as Alex grabbed Bug's shoulders pushed him ahead towards The Ripper.

"Come on, Bug. It's just a puppet, knock it over," he told him.

Bug stared at the tall creature that Jay had created. He looked so terrified and he was shaking. I pulled the sleeves of my jacket over my hands, leaving my fingers peaking out. Brandon pushed him, moving Bug closer. He turned to Alex, "I can't do this!" he cried while shaking his head. The Ripper crept regardless.

"But you must, or we'll all die!" Brandon laughed at Bug's attempt to get out of the ceremony's tradition.

"Come on, Bug," I whispered to myself. I was almost as much as a nervous wreck by just watching.

I saw Penelope look over her shoulder and quickly back to everyone else, "COPS!" she yelled.

Immediately, there was panic. Everyone ran in different directions, scrambling to get out without being arrested. The Ripper puppet dropped.

"You're in violation of the Riverton midnight curfew!" the officer shouted into the microphone. "Return to your homes immediately, or your parents will face prosecution!"

I felt a hand on my wrist and I nearly screamed before I saw Alex, pulling me and Bug behind him. Jerome was following, holding onto Jay's arm as we trailed into the woods.

"Watch your feet, Jerome!" Alex called out, but he had already run into Bug's side, who crashed into our sides, sending us all tumbling to the ground. Bug rolled down the bank and into the cold river. Quickly, we scurried to our feet and peaked over the edge to find Bug crawling to dry land.

"Oh, he's still alive! It's okay," Alex chuckled and held his hand out to our soaked friend.

"I'm blind, Bug, not you!" Jerome joked as he rested against a tree. We jogged into the woods again until we found a long log. We sunk down behind it and Alex started to laugh, "What the fuck was that, why did they stop us?"

"Go home! Ripper Day is officially canceled," the officer shouted to us again.

There was a moment of silence until Alex sat up. He motioned that the cops were gone. The rest of us sat up and let out a sigh of relief. I started giggling, as did Jay and Jerome. A smile formed on Alex's lips but it quickly faded when his eyes landed on Bug, who was staring at his hands in his lap.

"Why so glum, chum?" Jay questioned, still laughing over the incident.

"I failed," he quietly replied as Jay wrapped his jacket around his shoulders.

"Why, because you couldn't kill him?"

"Now we're all gonna die and it's my fault," he answered.

"No," Jerome added.

"It's all just a bunch of bullshit Brandon made up," Alex agreed, "If he was so worried about it, he should've killed it himself."

I assured Bug nothing was going happen after tonight, just like the previous years. He tried to argue that it was because everyone else had actually knocked the puppet over. I attempted to reason with him again, but stopped when his eyes met with mine. It was like my eyes were locked on him and couldn't leave. Not that I wanted to.

I admit that I was attracted to Bug. I have been this entire year. There was no chance, though. He adored Brittany Cunningham, and I was no match. She was pretty and everyone loved her. I wasn't unattractive, I knew that for a fact, but I was boring. I dressed nice on most occasions, like her, but I figured Bug saw me as one of the guys. I wouldn't mind that, if I hadn't wanted something more.

I'm not sure what had changed about Bug once we had started school this year, but something definitely had. I spent my entire summer with Alex and Bug, unlike last year where we hung out together on occasion. The more I was around him, the more I liked him.

I could feel Alex's eyes on me. Without a doubt, he was smiling at us. Alex knew I liked Bug, and he loved to tease me for it. He swore never to tell Bug though. I trusted him and I knew him well enough to know he was serious.

"That puppet was scary," he said, looking down to finally break our stare. I looked down as well, feeling my cheeks grow warm. I messed with the strings of my hoodie.

Jay thanked him and Alex grinned, "The coat was creepy. You added some moss and grass and shit right?"

"Yeah, man, he lived under the bridge for like sixteen years, he's prime evil, baby!" Jay fed us his knowledge on the killer and how Plenkov retrieved his clothes.

"The Ripper's alive? I thought you said he was just a ghost!"

"No," Alex rolled his eyes, "he's dead."

Jay shook his head, "Not necessarily! They never found his body."

"No one really knew him or his wife very well," Jerome forced his way back in. They were new to Riverton."

"Yeah!"

"And Plenkov could look completely different after sixteen years! A cosmetic surgery, a hair transplant, Weight Watchers!" he joked.

Alex and I both rolled our eyes together this time.

"And he could've changed his name! Snuck back into Riverton to get his revenge this year."

The two started laughing again and Alex told them to knock it off. Bug didn't need to hear it, and neither did I. The stories scared me. I tried to hide it, but everyone knew I was afraid of almost anything.

The silence was deafening. Jay finally mentioned that he had to get home soon. He asked if Alex and Bug were ready for their presentation in science tomorrow morning. He meant their presentation on the California Condor. Bug loved to talk about it, and it was his favorite topic. Jay teased the two boys and I shot a cold glare at him, cuasing him to stop. Bug corrected him without a beat and Alex explained their plan.

"You're gonna put your class to sleep," Jay crouched beside Jerome. "A good show and tell needs shock and awe."

"It's my fault. I was too scared about tonight to think about it." Bug concluded.

Bug still looked shaken from The Ripper puppet.

"Listen, Bug," he said quietly. "I'm scared of the Ripper too."

"Really?" he asked, hoping Jay was serious.

"I have to cross that bridge twice a day," Jay mentioned the railroad that crossed over the river. "I just do what my grandma taught me. Spit in the river, and he won't come after me."

"That works?"

"Yeah, for sixteen years," he finished. "See ya guys."

Jay and Jerome disappeared into the woods. A few minutes after, I stood up and fixed my hoodie. I helped Alex and Bug to their feet and said I needed to head home as well. Alex smirked and gave a small wave. Bug stared at the ground.

I squeezed his arm, "It's going to be okay, Bug. Tomorrow will fly by and there will be no sign of The Ripper."

For the first time tonight, Bug smiled. I smiled at that fact and hugged him. He seemed to appreciate it. I said my goodbyes and stepped over the log.

"We should go too. Quint's gonna kill me if he catches me out this late," I could barely hear Alex in the distance.

I hated Quint as much as Bug and Alex did. Alex was left behind with his step-father after his mother died. He was a drunk and abused Alex daily. He came to school with new bruises and the colors changed on the other ones as he showed them off to us.

My thoughts turned back to The Ripper. I hoped nothing would happen tomorrow. Everyone will be on edge, especially Bug. I felt awful for making up a lie, but it was for myself too. I was almost as scared of The Ripper as Bug was, and that was a lot. I really did fear for all of us tomorrow. It would definitely be interesting.

**Hello, everyone! My Soul to Take is one of my favorite movies and I've always had the urge to write a fic about it, so a few weeks ago, I decided to take a crack at this. I've never written a fic based off a movie before, so go easy on me. I'm trying my best to make it go along with the movie, as you can tell, but I will be changing and adding things that will make sense for the character, Lauren Anderson. :) I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! **


	2. Fake It

The digital alarm clock ripped me from my sleep this morning. I softly rubbed my closed eyelids and slammed my hand on the 'off' button. Monday's were the worst. The fact that my birthday fell on a Monday this year? Horrible. My mother poked her head in my door to see if I was awake. We smiled at each other before she shut the door and went back downstairs. I knew she was making breakfast for me.

After showering and applying makeup, I left my bathroom to get dressed. I pulled on jeans, a white tank top, and slipped a maroon hoodie over my head. I heard the knock on my door again and my mother let me know my breakfast was waiting for me downstairs. To be honest, I wasn't hungry. The images of last night flashed in my mind.

The jokes Brandon made about Penelope and Bug, the look on Bug's face when he saw The Ripper Puppet, how Alex didn't seem to have a care in the world. I worried about him sometimes. He was constantly messing around and being sarcastic. He hid behind a fake smile, and that bothered me. Quint's constant abuse was bound to drive Alex complely insane. I couldn't lose my best friend to something like that, but what could I do? Telling my mother and asking if he could move in with us would anger Alex. He said he could handle Quint, that it was no big deal. But it was a big deal. No sixteen year old boy, or anyone in the world, deserved to be kicked, punched, and beaten. Ever.

I was torn from my thoughts when I heard my window slide open. Alex pulled himself inside, tumbling to the floor. I winced, hoping my mother hadn't heard the noise. Bug peaked his head inside.

"Is it okay if I come in?"

I smiled and held my hand out to him. He gladly took it and pushed himself inside my bedroom. They took a seat on the edge of my bed. The boys looked around as if it was the first time they'd been here, but my bedroom was the hotspot of our hangouts. My mother didn't bother us, Brandon couldn't tease us, and Quint couldn't strike Alex. We were safe here, and we enjoyed that. Alex shook his head and asked how I kept my room so clean.

I rolled my eyes, "I actually take time to clean up after myself."

"Are you insinuating that I'm a messy person, Lauren?" Alex smirked and tapped his chin.

I placed my hands on my hips and gave him a look, then moved to Bug, "Happy Birthday, Bug."

He grinned, "Thanks, Lauren. You too," He paused and reached into his coat. Bug pulled out a wrapped gift. I was taken back by this. We all promised to stay away from the gift-giving activity, but Bug seemed to ignore that rule this year.

Alex reached into his coat and pulled out one as well. I shook my head at the both of them. It was a good thing I decided to buy them gifts this year as well. We had all broken the promise, but I figured that was fine, seeing how it was our sixteenth birthday. It was a special age. I held up my index finger and walked into my closet. I returned with their gifts and sat them in their laps.

"Go ahead," I motioned them to open the bagged gifts.

Alex somewhat glared, "I told you not to spend money on me, Lauren."

"Oh, shut up. It's not a big gift, I knew you'd kill me if I spent half of my allowence on you. Bug, however, I spent a few bucks on. Nothing major, but I thought you might like it."

Bug's eyes sort of widened as he looked down at the bag. He carefully put a hand inside and pulled out a book. He removed the colored tissue paper and turned the book over to read the cover. A smile slowly formed on his lips as and he read, "California Condor: New World Vulture," out loud to us.

Some people thought receiving a book on their birthday was lame, but Bug loved the California Condor, and it was one of the books he didn't have at home. Finally, he glanced up at me and smiled. His cheeks turned a little pink and he put the book back in the bag.

Alex opened his next, pulling out bags of his favorite candy. He and Bug laughed together, knowing he wouldn't have asked for anything else. Alex handed me my gift. I took a seat on my floor and began tearing the nice wrapping off the box. I lifted the lid and looked inside. It was a CD of one of my favorite bands. I thanked Alex and took it out.

"I just thought you'd enjoy a new CD for your car," he clicked his tongue.

A few days ago, my mother bought me a silver Elantra. I'd have my license within the next few weeks or so. I stood up and pulled Alex off my bed and into my arms. He was surprised, but managed to hug me back. I opened Bug's gift next. The box was smaller than Alex's and I wondered what he could have possibly bought for me. It's not that Bug didn't know me well, that wasn't the case at all. I just didn't think he would find a gift for me so easily. I'm a picky person, they both knew that, but I would never return or be upset over a gift from a friend.

The same process was used on Bug's box. Once the lid was off, a gasp escaped my lips. I slowly pulled out a silver necklace. Attached to the bottom as a charm of a bird. My eyes met with Bug's, who had been staring since I had the box in my hands.

"I know it's not the California Condor, but I saw it at the mall the other day and thought of you."

Bug and I talked about the condor constantly. Sometimes, Alex would get annoyed and let his mind wander while we sat and discussed the animal. It made Bug happy to know someone else had the same interest. I only got into it because it was all Bug used to talk about. Now I'm glad, because the California Condor was a beautiful creature. I put the necklace on and squeezed Bug.

My mother called for me, so I rushed the two out the window and said I would meet them outside in a few minutes. I ran downstairs to eat, and finished by brushing my teeth. I said goodbye to my mother and grabbed my bag off the kitchen table. I walked outside to find Alex and Bug waiting for me. Bug had a giant black duffle bag hurled across his shoulder.

"What's that?" I raised a worried brow.

Alex looked at the bag and turned back to me, "Sock puppet."

"On steroids?"

Alex glanced at Bug and tried to hold in his laughter, but he failed to contain himself. He nodded and agreed with me. Apparently he had said the same to Bug earlier this morning. I shoved them both ahead of me and told them to hurry or we'd be late for school. Not that I would mind, but my mother would if she recieved a call from Principal Pratt. Jerome showed up and joined us as we made it to the front parking lot. I wished him a happy birthday. Our conversation was interrupted by a ring coming from Bug's pocket.

He reached in and pulled out an orange flip phone. He quickly opened it to answer his mother's call. I smiled when I heard her sweet voice. I adored May Hellerman more than any woman in Riverton. Besides my own mother, of course. It didn't take long before the call ended. Alex helped Bug end it by pressing the red button. He handed it back and it was shoved into Bug's pocket. Just as we started to walk again, Jerome's name was called.

Chandelle stormed over, pushing Alex and Bug aside. She glanced at me, but went back to staring at her brother. We told Jerome we'd catch up with him later and proceeded to make our way towards the entrance of the school. His sister was apart of the clan that was run by Fang. Chandelle controlled Jerome, which was good because she kept him out of trouble and he was never hurt by the rest of the clan. I saw her join the rest of her group at the top of the stairs by the front doors. Fang was dressed in all black clothing, all tighter than the jeans I had worn to last night's ceremony. Her eyes were fixed on me, glaring as if I were scum. I may has well have been, no one else noticed me anyway. I knew she despised me solely for the fact that I hung out with her brother and Alex. I wasn't sure if people knew the two were even related. The only time she would speak of Bug was when she wanted to pester him.

We were stopped by José, the school janitor, "What is _that_?" he asked, pointing to the large bag on Bug's back.

"Project for science class," Bug answered, sitting the bag on the ground near their feet.

Objects like this could not be carried inside the school. It had to be checked by security and delivered back to the student in the class they needed it for. José scratched the classroom and period down in a small notebook and assured Bug it'd be returned to him safely.

"So, wanna come over tonight? We can burn the house down with my step-father in it," Alex jokingly asked. José sarcastically laughed at Alex's invitation.

Bug asked if he'd recieved anything from Quint for his birthday. Alex lifted his shirt to reveal the fist-sized bruise that was already starting to turn yellow. I scrunched my nose and looked away. I felt awful for Alex. My eyes landed on Brittany Cunningham, who just walked past us. Bug almost smiled when he saw her. Alex nodded and told him he should go and talk to her. I felt knot form in my throat. Alex knew it killed me how much Bug drooled over her, but he had to lead Bug on to believe no one else was interested because I wasn't ready for Bug to know how I felt. Brittany flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder and began talking to José.

"Excuse me, Officer Ramirez," I heard her greet him, "But Maria told me you know all about baseball?"

My eyes flew back to Alex, who already knew what was coming next, "Uh-oh, distraction maneuver!" he shouted and pushed me forward as Brandon stalked over.

I helplessly stood at a distance and watched, knowing Brandon was about to deliver Fang's orders for the day.

"Bug, this is a three," Brandon held up three fingers before punching him in the arm. Bug gasped and clutched his arm, staring at Brandon in disbelief. Brandon shoved him to the side and grabbed Alex. "Dunkelman, this is an eight."

Brandon slammed his fist into Alex's gut. He doubled over and fell onto the ground. Brandon looked up at Bug, "And that's the way the cookie crumbles."

He moved his attention to Alex, "Dunkelman, stay away from the Fang zone," he warned. "And you, you stay away from him."

I covered my mouth and waited until Brandon began to trot up the stairs. I was at Bug's side now, watching Alex lie on the ground in pain. He finally spoke, "Thanks Brandon. Felt good."

Brandon muttered, "Asswipe."

"Not as good as your mother felt last night though," he finished his insult. _Shit_.

Brandon dropped his bag on the ground and made his way back over to us. Alex scurried to his feet, ready to take on the irritated jock, "You just bought yourself a twenty, " he warned Alex.

"_Brandon O'Niel_," Penelope Bryte shouted his name while pointing her finger, which caused him to turn. "Do not bring the wrath of Jehovah down upon you!"

She began to unleash her anger while I talked to Alex. I made sure he could walk and asked if he wanted to see the school nurse. Being the stubborn boy that he is, he replied with a loud, "No." It had slipped my mind that he was used to beatings like this, and even worse. He sat back down and rubbed his slender face.

"When you least expect it, Dunkelmen," Brandon shot him a glare. Alex flipped his middle finger at him naturally. He stared at me for a moment, his eyes moving up and down my body before leaving for good.

Penelope moved closer and began to talk to Bug. The two began to chat while I discussed with Alex how much of a pig Brandon was. He agreed and said if he ever gave me that look again, he'd show him a thing or two. I couldn't help but laugh at my best friend. I saw Penelope lean in and kiss Bug on his cheek. It was obvious she had a thing for Bug. Sometimes I wondered why he didn't just go for Penelope. She showed so much interest, but Bug seemed oblivious to this. Then again, it would kill me if I saw Bug with Penelope.

"Rise up and gird your loins, Alex," she said, bringing his eyes to her. "The end is near."

With that, she retreated to the school, much like Brandon had. The bell had rung and the parent in me helped dust Alex off before following the rest of the student body towards the door. Bug's confused expression was stuck as he questioned Penelope's warning.

"Why does Penelope always say stuff like that?" Bug wondered.

"Parallel universe, maybe," Alex sarcastically suggested to him.

"I don't understand her sometimes," Bug continued as we finally found the doors. "I mean the way she said that—" Reaching a hand out, he grabbed Alex by his shoulder and pulled him backwards. "_Pray for our souls, Bug, he's coming..._" His voice had raised a few pitches to imitate Penelope and I raised a concerned brow.

"What if she meant the Ripper?" he paused and quietly continued, "I'm scared."

"We're sixteen, Bug. Like it or not, we're men now," he replied and we climbed the stairs to the second floor of the school.

"I don't feel like a man," he said worriedly.

I finally caught up to Alex, who was a few steps ahead of us, and passed him as he waited for Bug.

"No man does," I heard him reply. "That's why you gotta fake it."

"Fake being a man to be a man?" Bug questioned.

"That's the way it works," Alex confirmed as we came to the first landing of the staircase. "So you can't run, you gotta face your fear like a man."

"Even though I'm not a man?" I heard Bug ask while we continued.

"Because you're not a man," Alex corrected him when we finally reached the top. "Listen, the better you fake it, the better man you are."

Alex continued his speech on how to fake being a man. He asked Bug to repeat after him. I warned Alex to stop while he was ahead, but I was ignored. He was filling Bug's head with nonsense that only worked for himself. Bug was sensitive, unlike Alex.

"Just fake it. Fake it good," Alex nodded. "Like if you're scared, act like you don't give a shit."

"Or if somebody hurts you," he pressed on, "Say 'Thank you very much, that felt wonderful.'."

I shot Alex a glare. He looked disappointed in himself and glanced at Bug, who was still staring at him. He waited for a second and went on with his speech. I huffed and waited for him to finish.

"You are a man," he beamed and slapped Bug on the shoulder.

"I am?"

"Abso-fucking-lutely, look at you," Alex went on, gesturing to Bug's body. I bit my lip and watched.

Next, he slapped Bug lightly on the face. "You now have permission to shave."

I actually laughed at Alex's joke this time. Before the bell rang, we said our goodbyes and headed to class. I wondered if what Alex had said to Bug about fake being a man would work. I knew Bug would second-guess himself on that, and I didn't want him to take Alex's words too far.


	3. Are You Ready?

During lunch, Alex and Bug discussed their presentation for our Biology class. I was particularly excited for this. Not just because it was about the California Condor, but because Alex had a few tricks up sleeves. I also knew Mr. Kaiser would be livid during their presentation.

"It's going to be awesome," Alex slammed his fists on the table.

"Just don't get yourselves sent to Pratt's office for this," I patted my friend's shoulder.

Alex shook my hand off and scoffed, "Pratt is the last thing I'm worried about today, Lauren."

Bug's eyes rose from the ground and met with mine. He knew Alex was speaking of The Ripper. I pinched Alex's leg under the table as he joked about The Ripper coming back. He hissed and shot me a glare. It quickly faded once he saw Bug's expression. He muttered an apology, but Bug paid no attention him. His eyes were fixed on me. Sometimes, he would only believe anything I said. I couldn't blame him with the way Alex acted at times.

"Don't listen to him, Bug. Alex is only joking because he's secretly afraid," I smirked and propped my head up with my elbows. Bug gave a slight smile and agreed.

Walking in to Biology, I almost tripped on Alex and Bug's duffle bag. I huffed after hearing Alex's laugh behind me. As took my seat, I stuck my leg out in the aisle. Alex stepped over it. Just as he thought he was safe, I moved it again and snagged his other foot. He caught himself on Bug's desk and cursed. Bug grinned and leaned to the side so Alex wouldn't smack him.

I scanned the room as the rest of our class joined us. Penelope was staring out the window. She looked troubled, and I could only assume she was worried about today as well. My attention was turned back the class when I heard Bug and Alex's names being called to the front. I noticed Bug was zoned out, rubbing his temple. Alex lightly tapped his shoulder and told him to hurry up. Bug snappped out of it and stood up, following behind Alex.

Alex went right for the duffle bag, digging inside for whatever their props were.

"Back From the Brink by Adam Hellermen and Alex Dunkelmen," Bug quietly mumbled.

"Dumbfuckelman," Brandon smiled to himself as the class snickered at his joke. Mr. Kaiser warned him by calling his name. Alex rolled his eyes and continued to dig in the bag.

"Our subject today," he paused, squinting his eyes. He pressed his hand to his head, "Is about a bird..."

"You having another one of your migraines again, Adam?" Mr. Kaiser didn't bother to whisper.

Bug was prone to serious migraines. My mother said his father, Abel, had split personalities. Frequent migraines were a sign for the disease, along with memory loss. Bug had shown both of the signs over the years, and it worried me greatly.

Ignoring Mr. Kaiser, Bug looked down at Alex. He whispered something to him and Bug looked back at the class. Something in him snapped, "Our subject today is the largest bird in North America." His voice had lowered quite a bit. It made me jump while the rest of the students' eyes widened. He sounded much different and manly.

"Unchanged since the Pleistocene Epoch and only recently brought back from the brink of extinction. I present to you Gymnogyps californianus." he continued, his voice still deep.

Alex, unalarmed by Bug, swiftly face the class, pulling a feathery coat over him. I gulped as the head with an attached beak went over Alex's head. Bug had said it was a sock puppet, not a costume, I thought to myself. Slowly, I began to smile. I was right. Alex did have a few tricks up his sleeve.

"The California Condor!" Alex stood up straight, raising the wings of the bird and let out a little screech. I had to cover my mouth to keep from giggling at this while everyone else gasped.

"Are you ready? Fly now," Bug commanded with a devious smile. Although Bug seemed to creep my classmates out by his voice and actions, I thought he was extremely brilliant.

The costumed Alex ran down the aisles, his wings spread. We all lowered our heads to keep from being whacked by the plastic feathers. Bug carried on about our beloved animal. I knew most of the facts, so I drowned out his voice while I watched Alex soar around the room. But, the mentioning of the condor's meal made my stomach turn. "A dead, stinking body crawling with maggots is ice cream to him!"

Mr. Kaiser warned him about the way he spoke. Bug assured him they were strictly facts and went on with the presentation, "The California Condor can consume the carcass of a cow _in one day_."

"Bullshit," Brandon smirked and shrugged his broad shoulders.

Alex paused and turned to him, as did Bug. Without warning, Alex lurched towards the desk in front of him. The student jumped and pulled the desk as far away from him as possible. Alex did this until he stood directly in front of Brandon, who had rolled his eyes and sighed at Alex's attempt to frighten him.

"And if anyone tries to harm it," Bug looked at me for half a second and went back to Brandon, "If anyone so much as even _touches _one of it's feathers… _just one_..."

Bug taunted Brandon with this. He leaned closer to Alex and ripped a feather off the costume as he sat against his chair again.

He twirled the feather between his fingers, "What are you gonna do? You gonna bite me, asshole?"

Alex shook his head in Brandon's face before releasing green slime from the beak of the bird. The entire class jumped and screamed, leaving their desks to keep away from the fake vomit I had heard Bug and Alex discussing at lunch. My jaw dropped and I slowly peeled myself out of my desk to stand with Penelope. Bug explained how the condor vomited on it's tormentor when it felt it needed to.

Brandon threw his desk away from him and pounced on Alex. The two slid across the floor and into the wall. I watched helplessly as Brandon threw his fists into Alex's side. Bug was still trying to speak the class. Mr. Kaiser pulled him aside and pried Brandon off of Alex, who was laughing. The head of the costume onto the back of his head from Brandon's tackle.

"Bottle two, Alex!" Bug shouted. On cue, Alex released a brown liquid from the bottom of the bird onto Brandon's feet.

Everyone shrieked as I laughed in disbelief.

"And that is why no one should ever screw with the California Condor!"

Brandon gave Alex two last kicks as Mr. Kaiser finally moved him off the floor.

"Thank you, Brandon, that felt so good," Alex teased him and stayed in his spot.

"Alex and I would like to thank you all your kind attention," Bug concluded the presentation.

I raced to the front of the room. I avoided the liquids and crouched down to Alex. He let his head fall back onto the floor and exhaled with a smile. I shook my head and congratulated him on being the most unique and disturbing presentor I'd ever seen. He accepted this compliment by patting my forearm. I grabbed his shoulders and forced him into a sitting position, and then to his feet.

Bug suddenly began to gag. Mr. Kaiser snatched a notepad from his desk and started to scribble on it. He ordered Bug to leave and shoved him to the door. Bug followed his directions and left the class as quick as possible.

Mr. Kaiser called the office through the speaker to get Jose in the room for assistance in cleaning up the liquids. Everyone was still cowarded in the back while I took my seat. I watched Alex tear off the costume and place it back in the enormous duffle bag. After finishing, he looked at me. I could tell he was worried about Bug just as much as I was. I could barely hear Mr. Kaiser give him permission to check on him.

A few miniutes into my next class, we all heard two screams coming from the bathroom area. My advanced enlgish teacher opened her door and scanned the hall before leaving. I sunk down in my seat and thought about what Alex and Bug would be doing tonight for their birthday. Alex would be sitting in his room to avoid Quint, no doubt, and I'm sure Bug would be enjoying a slice of cake with May. I would be doing the same with my mother. Sometimes, I wished my father was around to celebrate with us. I hardly knew who he even was.

My parents hooked up together a few years after graduating from the same high school. My parents weren't in love and they never dated. It was a random hook-up that lead to an unplanned pregnancy. I was a mistake, but my mother liked to say I was a 'surprise.' The night I was born, my father passed away. I never had a chance to meet him. Plenkov was to blame for that.

Once class was over, I walked down the stairs to my locker. I took my time, knowing Alex was probably calming Bug down while they waited patiently me for me. After snatching the books I would need for tonight and leaving the ones that had no purpose, I made my way to the entrance of the school. I was almost to the front where I met the boys everyday, I just had to turn the corner. As I went to do so, I overheard Alex talking to Bug about me. I flattened my back against the stone wall and listened closely.

"So... now that you know what Brittany thinks of you, what are you going to do?" Alex questioned.

It was silent for a moment before Bug replied, "What else can I do, Alex? I haven't done anything in the first place."

"You know, Bug? I think you should go for Lauren."

"W-what?" he stammered. My heart was racing and I cursed Alex in my head.

"Bug, I see the way you look at each other," Alex all but laughed, "And the necklace you bought for her? You like Lauren, man. Admit it."

"What does the necklace have to do with this?" Bug's voice cracked, "It's a birthday gift."

"Bug, listen to me," I heard Alex place his hand on his best friend's shoulder, "Lauren digs you too. Give it a shot, I promise it'll be worth it."

"I have no idea how to go about that, Alex!"

Alex began to educate Bug on how to ask a girl out, I came to the conclusion that I had finally heard enough. I walked out into the view and acted normal. Bug was sitting on the stone and Alex was standing beside him. Bug's eyes darted from me to the ground. His cheeks flushed and Alex had a smug smirk on his face.

"Just trying to help Bug open up with his feelings a bit more," he looked me straight in the eyes, knowing I was going to ask what they were talking about. I rolled my eyes and took a seat beside Bug on the bench.

Just as I went to ask Bug how he was feeling, there was a faint screech above our heads. All three of us stared up into the clear sky to see a turkey vulture soaring.

"Connecticut condor?" Alex asked, causing Bug and I to look at him instead of the bird.

"Turkey vulture," Bug corrected, "You find Jay?"

"No," Alex shoved his hands in his coat pockets and rotated to watch everyone else leave to their cars. "He always answers."

Not two seconds after Alex finished his sentence, Bug replied, "I saw him."

Alex quickly turned around to face Bug, "Where?"

Bug licked his lips, "In the boys bathroom mirror. He was in the river, I think…"

The look Alex gave him made me feel as crazy as Bug had sounded. I closed my eyes and rested my head against Bug's shoulder, the softness of his brown cardigan made want to take a nap.

"He tried to say something, but he—"

"Bug," he cut him off, "It's best not to think about your nightmares today."

Bug almost whispered, "It wasn't a nightmare." This made me sit up.

"Whatever it was. Look, all eight of us are on edge today…seeing the Ripper in all sorts of weird places."

I blinked and took a quick look at the woods and went back to listened to Alex, "It's like Brandon said, the way the cookie crumbles... for us. Just for today."

With that, Alex started to walk away. He looked over his shoulder, "You're the condor, you eat death for breakfast. Remember that," he commanded and kept walking.

"Where you going?"

"Call me after Pratt's," was all he said and disappeared.

Confused by what he had said, I asked Bug what Alex had meant. He explained to me that he and Alex snuck his cellphone into the girls bathroom earlier today. While trying to retrieve it, Brittany caught Bug in the bathroom stall. I nodded, realizing that was Brittany's scream that I had heard. Alex talked him into hiding his phone in the stalls to spy on Fang and her crew. In the process, he learned that Brittany did not find Bug attractive. Brittany was lying, of course, to please Fang. Most girls did find Bug attractive. They were just too afraid to admit it because of Fang's wrath would be unleashed if she were to find out who did. Just as he finished telling me the story, Brittany walked by. Speak of the devil.

"Pervert," she simply said. Before leaving, she turned to Bug, "I'm sorry I screamed."

As she began to walk again, Bug responded, "I don't blame you."

She stopped in her tracks, "You should get out more, Bug. Shop, that's what I do when I'm scared." she laughed and barely even glanced my way.

"You're scared too?"

"Angry... is what I meant to say," she corrected and was on her way.

Bug sighed and looked at the ground. I did the same, feeling bad for what he was about to face. Principal Pratt was sure to rip him for this stunt.

"_Pay-back-time_," Brandon's voice made us snap our heads up as he slammed his fist into an open palm. Bug and I were quick to our feet.

"Think twice, jockstrap."

Jerome King stepped in to save the day. I exhaled in relief as he stood next to Bug.

"You know what Fang would do to you if she saw you doing this," he finished.

"Yeah, well nobody's looking," he all but whispered his insult.

Jerome placed his hand on Brandon's chest, "Well someone's listening, Sasquatch. Think about it, I tell Chandelle, she tells Fang. We all know how Fang doesn't like you off your little leash."

Brandon looked at Bug, "That's actually just peachy, you know. I'll let The Ripper get you two. You know, Bug, a lot of people have seen him already today. It's not even dark."

"Must be scary... living in a house with no father to protect you," he pressed on. He sort of nodded his head and backed away. He glanced at me before leaving the same way Brittany was walking.

Jerome assured Bug he was a hero of the revolution for puking on Brandon. The story from earlier had spread like a virus.

"Hey Penelope," Jerome said as Penelope ascended from the stairs towards us.

"Hey Jerome," she seemed surprised, "What's it this time?"

"You're wearing those squeaky shoes again," he smiled and walked off, leaving Bug, Penelope, and myself.

After Jerome was gone, Bug and Penelope said, 'Hey,' together. We all took a seat as Penelope explained that she heard that he was seeing Principal Pratt.

"I-in fifteen minutes, " Bug stuttered, remembering he would be dealing with something almost as scary as The Ripper. "They called my mom at work, I'm... doomed."

Penelope placed her hand on his back for a second to comfort him, "We're all doomed, Bug, it's in condition. Next life's the thing to focus on."

Her phone played a small chime. She flipped it open to read the message. Melanie Pratt was asking her to come pray. Brandon had knocked her up, which was one of the insults Penelope used to scare him off this morning. She asked if we'd like to come. I told her I had plans with my mother, and Bug was seeing Pratt.

"Well, God sees you, wherever you are. If things get too hot, just turn on the prayer conditioning," she said and went back inside the school.

Bug watched her until she was gone, then looked back at me. I gave a small smile, as did he. I wished him luck on his visit with Principal Pratt and his mother. I knew May wouldn't be as hard on him as he said she would be. As much as I hated to admit it, many people babied Bug. I tried my best to stray from that, because I knew Bug deserved to be treated equally. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, giving him a quick hug before walking away.

"I know you're spending your birthday with your mom, but if you have time," Bug paused as I stopped to stare at him, "You can come see us later."

I bit my bottom lip softly and smiled at his offer. Bug smiled too, coming to the realization that he was following Alex's directions. Maybe my birthday wouldn't be so bad this year afterall. I just had to keep my mind off The Ripper for the next ten hours.


	4. Happy Birthday

My mother placed my birthday cake in front of me on the kitchen table. The number sixteen candle was lit, illuminating the rest of the iced cake. Her smile made me feel warm. She played with my hair as she sang 'Happy Birthday' to me. When she encouraged me to make a wish and blow out the candle, I hesitated.

What could I possibly wish for this year? When I was younger, I would wish for a pony or toys, and one year I even wished to meet my father, but this year was different. Maybe I should wish for Brandon to stop giving out threes and eights to my friends, or for Quint to leave Alex be. I can't exactly complain about my life. I couldn't be selfish this year. Not with all of the other things my friends and their families struggle with. With those quick thoughts, I leaned forward and blew the candle out.

My mother and I ate our slice of cake together on the living room couch instead of at the dinner table. After we were finished, she held me to her side while we watched tv. She asked how Bug and Alex enjoyed their gifts. I told her they loved them, and then held up the necklace Bug had given me.

"Oh, that's beautiful, Lauren," she cooed softly and carefully held the jewelry between her fingers. "And this was from Adam?" Mom didn't care for Bug's nickname. He didn't seem to mind it though.

I nodded, "Yeah, he said it reminded him of me."

My mother laughed, "I think he has a little crush on you. May and I always said you two would end up married in the future."

"_Mom!_"

This caused her laughter to increase. It was catchy, so I giggled as well. She gave a tight hug and stood up to take our plates to the kitchen sink. I sprawled out on the couch, resting on a large pillow. While my mother washed dishes, I held my necklace. What if Bug did like me? I remembered Bug had invited me to stop by today. I checked the wall clock. Five o'clock. I'm sure he was home with May by now. I called to my mother that I was going to visit. She said she wanted me home by eleven because it was a school night. Reasonable, I guess.

The Hellerman's lived a few houses down the road. It would only take a few minutes to walk there. I moved my bangs out of my face and looked around. The woods behind the neighborhood was a bit creepy. I blinked and went back to watching the road. A gust of cool wind hit me, blowing my hair off my shoulders. I shivered and tugged the sleeves of my hoodie over my hands. There was a sudden rustle of leaves. I whipped my head to the left, my heart was racing. It was only the wind, I assured myself as I picked up my pace and made it to Bug's front porch.

May answered to my knock on the door. She smiled and gave me a hug before stepping aside.

"Where's Bug?" I guestioned, looking around the empty living room.

"Oh," she sighed, "Principal Pratt excused him from our meeting earlier. I'm not sure where he ran off to."

My brow furrowed slightly, then I realized where he was. Bug loved the woods. He would often wander through it to clear his mind. I could tell by the look on May's face that she was worried about him. Despite being spooked from the walk here, I offered to fetch him for her. Just as May thanked me, Fang made her way down the stairs. She stopped on the last step when she saw me.

"The insect isn't here," she faked a smile. Fang was the same at home as she was at school, she just went by a different name. Leah Hellerman.

I faked one back and headed for the door. I bit my lip as I traveled through the woods. It had been awhile since I thought about The Ripper. Being in the woods brought him to mind, which was the last thing I wanted. I needed to find Bug as quickly as possible. The leaves crunched beneath my feet, it was impossible to stay quiet. My mind played tricks on me and I was alert the entire trip. While I was going around a tree, I heard something behind me. The sound made me freeze. I almost couldn't breathe. The way my heart was beating, I thought I was going to be sick. I finally forced myself to look. The woods was still empty.

I gulped and continued my search for Bug. God, I was scared. I quickly stepped over fallen branches and peaked around trees. Where could he possibly be? I've covered most of the woods where Bug liked to explore. The only place left was the abandoned ambulance, which was only a few feet away. I braced myself and made way towards it. The lot was empty and quiet besides the babbling of the river. I huffed in defeat and turned to go back, but I ran into someone's body. Tears filled my eyes and I screamed, pushing the person away from me.

"Whoa, Lauren, chill! It's just me," Bug's voice soothed.

I covered my mouth and stared at him. He looked as terrified as I was. Immediately, I reached out and pulled him in for a hug. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders. I rested my head against his chest. His heart was beating uncontrollably.

"I thought... I thought you were..." I tried to say The Ripper, but I was still shocked.

"It's okay, Lauren, it's okay."

Finally, I had calmed myself down and I pulled away. I slugged his arm, "Fuck! Why didn't you say anything when you first saw me?"

Bug ran his hand through his hair, he looked embarrassed, "I was going to surprise you."

"Well, you surprised me alright," I rubbed the bridge of my nose. "Come on, May is worried about you. I don't want her worrying about me too."

Bug nodded and followed me. He looked over his shoulder at the ambulance and then ahead of us. I wonder what he was doing out here. The ambulance creeped Bug out. If he knew that's the ambulance his father had been in, he'd probably stay as far from it as he could. Still, I didn't have the heart to tell him the story.

Once we were inside, Bug wiped his muddy shoes on the doormat. When he looked up, he saw the glow of the candles on his cake from the kitchen. We barely moved before May walked into the room with the cake in her hands.

"Oh, wow," Bug exhaled. "Sorry I'm so late."

"You should be," she quietly replied and looked at me. "Have a seat."

Bug and May sat down on the sofa. I excused myself to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Their voices were faint and I could hardly make out what May was saying to Bug, but I hoped she wasn't too upset with him. I heard Bug ask her, "You wanna know what I wished for?"

"No," she quickly responded.

"I wished that I could take back what I did today and make you proud of me instead," he ignored her answer.

He finished his explaination on why he was in the girls' bathroom today as I walked back into the room. May asked what Brittany thought of him.

"She thinks he's a retard," Leah appeared from the stairs. "Like everyone else."

"Do not use that word in this house," May stood and yelled at her. Leah hardly glanced as she pushed past me.

Bug assured her it was okay and made her sit again, "Just because Leah says mean things doesn't make them so."

"What if they are so?" he quietly asked. I frowned after hearing that. Bug wasn't a 'retard' or any of the other mean things Leah had said about him in the past. He was far from that.

"What?"

Leah entered the room carrying scissors and started back up the staircase, "They are."

Bug turned back to May and admitted that Leah told Brittany that he had been in and out of institutions and that he had killed people. I took a sip of my water to keep from telling them both what I thought of Leah.

"Have I?"

May gave him a concerned look and had a hard time to reply with, "Leah will say anything," before leaving the room. "You don't have the most supportive sister in the world."

May picked up the home phone and began dialing a number. Bug questioned who she was calling. She told him she was calling his cell phone. His eyes widened and he raced to her side, begging her to stop. I waited a second before following him. After a few tries and no answer, she gave up. Leah had returned to the dining room, pushing a large box.

She clasped her hands together, smirking at Bug and I, "Time for presents."

May somewhat smiled at her, "Well, this is a first."

Leah's eyes were squinted, "I don't give gifts just to give them, May. Gifts should mean something."

May moved out of the room to pick something up off the floor.

"Happy sweet sixteenth," she shrugged and Bug stared at the black wrapped gift.

"What is it?"

"Open it," she encouraged.

Bug began to tear apart the wrapping paper. The red bow fell to the floor and he paid no attention to it. Bug held up a very detailed white rocking horse. It had a blonde mane and a red saddle. Bug seemed confused and looked up from the gift. He sat it down on the table.

"I don't- I don't understand," he turned his head to look at Leah who was leaning against the wall, the smirk still stuck on her face. I was as confused as Bug was.

May returned from the kitchen, "Bug!"

"Huh?" he jumped and stared at her.

"You and Lauren, go to your room now," she ordered.

"What'd I do?"

"Just go!"

Bug hesitated, but then reached for the horse. May told him to leave it, but he said Leah had given it to him, so it was his. I quickly followed behind him. Why would Leah give him a rocking horse? Was it a joke? Was she insinuating that he was still a child? My blood was boiling just thinking about Leah.

Once we were in his room, I sat down on his bed. He had placed the horse on the floor and was making it rock, still staring at it. He heard Leah racing up the stairs and stepped out into the hallway.

"Hi," he quietly greeted her.

"Fuck you too," she shouted, pointing a finger in his face and carried on to her bedroom.

He left the room and I stood in the doorway to watch. He walked behind her. As she reached for the door, he grabbed her right shoulder, calling her name. She swiftly turned and slammed her fist into his face. She slammed her door behind her after doing so. I gasped as I watched Bug fall backwards into the wall and slid down it. Blood trickled from his nostrils, which he covered with his hand.

"Thanks Leah," he shouted, "That felt good."

Bug pulled himself to his feet, "Why do you hate me? I've never done anything to you."

With that, the door flew back open and she emerged from her room. She grabbed his shoulders and slammed his back to the wall, "You ruined my life, that's what you've done, you little shit," she angrily explained, pushing him the other wall of the hallway. She punched him in the gut and he winced. Next, she kneed him in the groin. Bug cried out and fell to his knees. Leah kneed him the face and he finally was on the ground.

"Why?" he had the nerve to ask.

"Why?" she heavily breathed, "I will tell you why, _maggot_."

I watched and listened in disbelief.

"From the moment you were born," she started to shake, "_Everything_ went to shit for me." Leah swallowed air, "You were the miracle baby and I was the painful reminder. You got to live in this dream and I got _STUCK IN A FUCKING NIGHTMARE_!" she screamed at him. Bug's eyes widened again.

"I am sick to death of your _innocence_! It is an insult_ to me_," she finished and tried to step back into her room.

Bug reached out and caught her ankle, "Why am I innocent?"

Bug's voice sounded like a child's.

Leah removed his hand by shaking him off, "You are so clueless, it is stunning!"

Bug struggled but was able to stand in front of his older sister, "Tell me."

"Do you know who your father was?"

I felt my stomach drop. Leah was old enough to remember what happened the night their father murdered their mother, and how he attempted to murder her. She was about to tell Bug the real story.

He paused for a second, "May said that he loved us very much..."

Leah closed her eyes and opened them again, "But who was he?"

"I don't know. He died in a car crash."

"On the way to the hospital to be with May when she was having you, right?"

"Yeah," Bug quietly agreed.

"What a sad, and beautiful story," she taunted. "Have you ever asked yourself why May doesn't ever talk about him, or why there isn't a single fucking picture of him around the house?"

His jaw dropped and he whispered, "Maybe it's too painful."

Leah took a step closer to Bug, "Do you know who Abel Plenkov was?"

"The Riverton Ripper."

"Besides that."

"No," he shook his head and sort of looked down.

"Take a look in the mirror, Bug," she commanded and walked back into her room, slamming the door again.

I was breathing heavily now. Bug's face was expressionless and he walked past me into his bedroom. I entered and stood near his bed again. He pressed his ear to the wall to listen to what Leah was doing. We could hear her smashing something, but we weren't sure what. Soon enough, Bug realized what it was and leaned away from the wall.

He picked up the horse and knocked on her door with me behind him. She told him to go away. Bug ignored her request and knocked on the door again, ordering for her to open the door. She threw the door open and Bug and I walked in. The dollhouse Abel had built for her was now in pieces on the floor. I suddenly realized the rocking horse was made by Abel as well.

"Do you want to die?" she growled at him. "Get out of my room!"

Bug lifted the horse up and threw it on the ground as hard as he could. I stepped back to stand beside Leah.

"Fuck," he huffed and picked it up again, just to slam it multiple times. Leah looked surprised, as did I. Bug smashed the horse with his foot and broke the last of the wood on his knee before his eyes met with ours.

"There," he exhaled. "We're even." he said and wiped his nose with his shirt. As he did, a small envelope fell to her floor. It was the card Penelope had made for Bug that had been stolen by Leah.

"Where did you get that?"

"There's a revolution going on, Fang," he replied and left the room.

I stayed in my place, not knowing how to react to all that I had witnessed. Leah was speechless and was staring at me. I blinked a few times before exiting the room as well, but stopped in the hall when I say May at the end of it with Bug.

"Hi."

"Hi," he greeted her back.

Leah's phone went off and I heard her answer it.

"Is Leah okay?"

"Leah's fine," Bug firmly said and walked into his room.

May glanced up at me. I knew she felt bad that I had to see the way Leah treated Bug, but she didn't know how much worse she was to him at school. She peaked into Bug's room, "Are you? You look..."

Bug came closer again, causing her to take a step back, "I know you're not my mother."

May's jaw dropped, trying to gather what she wanted to say to him. Nothing would come out. She finally forced out an apology.

Bug cut her off, "I hope you know something too."

"What?"

"That you are my mom, that one you're stuck with, whether you like it or not," he walked away from her and stared out his window.

May backed away and covered her mouth as she started to cry. I remained silent, too shocked to comfort her. Leah stepped out into the hallway, she looked emotionless.

"Are you - are you okay?" May asked her.

"Maria just called," she paused. "They found Jay Chan in the river this morning."

May placed her hand on her heart and stepped forward. I opened my mouth for a silent gasp.

"_No._"

"Penelope Bryte near the ambulance. Brandon and Brittany in the woods nearby," she whispered.

My eyes began to fill with tears. My friend and three of my peers were dead. I would never see them again. "I was a total shit to her today and she's dead."

"I know how that can be..."

"You know how that can be, May," Leah raised her voice, "Our father's still alive."

I zoned out after that. The Ripper was back in Riverton, and no one was going to stop him.


	5. It's Not Okay

Leigh's dark eyes darted from May to me. Her lips were parted, but no words would come out. I leaned back against the wall, slowly letting myself slide down until I was sitting on the wood floor. I buried my face into my hands and continued to cry. _This can't be happening. I just saw Penelope, Brandon, and Brittany today. _Jay had been missing though. I silently gasped, realizing that the killer must've caught him last night.

"He's killing his way through the Riverton Eight. He'll get Jerome and Dunkelman, and he'll come for us," Leigh explained and glanced at me. I covered my mouth and tried to stop my tears.

Bug quietly shut his door and told Leigh that we would go to the church with the others.

"I'll go to church with you, May," she nodded. "But this is the last time."

As Leigh walked away she apologized to May, "And I'm sorry. I had to tell him. I'll get the car and wait out front. Get Bug, okay?"

May knocked on her adopted son's door. There was no answer, only silence. She decided to open it. Bug's window was open and the cold autumn air blew the curtains. She looked back at me and made her way out. May helped me to my feet and tried to pull me along with her. I freed my wrist from her grip and said I would find Bug for her. May blinked back tears and traveled down the stairs. Once I knew she was gone, I entered his room and kicked the bed frame. Bug crawled out from under it. He fixed his shirt and poked his head out the door. I jumped as Alex pulled himself up the side of the house and stepped into Bug's room.

"I figured you'd come," Bug said to him.

"Really? Have you heard?"

The two came closer, Alex nodded to me.

"I've heard. I've heard a lot," Bug sounded almost angry.

Alex had a confused expression, "Oh."

"The Riverton Ripper, Abel Plenkov?"

"Yeah?"

Bug paused, "He was my father."

Alex exhaled and looked down as Bug's eyes darted to me. He faked being surprise, Alex and I already knew.

"I...I know."

"You do?" Bug's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Parents of all the Eight know. I think Lauren and I were the only kids," he admitted. Bug shot me a hurt glare before turning his attention back Alex. "My mother told me the day she died."

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" his voice was full of anger.

"Sorry, we thought you were too... I don't know..."

"Innocent?"

"I guess."

"Well, I'm not anymore."

Alex's brows rose, "I can see that," he replied and tugged on Bug's shirt to look at the blood and asked who had beaten him up.

"Fang," he answered and pulled his shirt over his head and began digging in his dresser for a new one. "Penelope sent me a letter."

"A love letter?"

"No," he started unfolding the shirt, "she wrote to warn me that he'd be coming back for us. My father."

He gestured to the sky, "She had a source." He slipped his arms through the sleeves of his black long-sleeved shirt and put it on.

"Yeah. She say anything else?"

"She said that there were two ways he can come."

Bug walked over to his window and hardly even looked at me, "One: If he survived sixteen years ago that he'll come back as Abel Plenkov," he stated as he shut it and turned the lock. "Dad."

"Option two?"

"Option two: If he did die," he paused and shut his bedroom door and locked it as well, "Then his soul went into one of the eight kids who were born the night he died."

He stood in front of Alex now.

"In this version, he's one of us, killing all the rest."

He mumbled something to which Bug agreed.

"There isn't many of us left to be unexpected though."

"You me, Lauren, and Jerome."

"Jerome's not a very good candidate," Alex reminded Bug of his lack of sight. Bug shook his head.

The two stared at me, "Lauren is terrified of everything," he added. "So, you or me."

"It's option two."

Alex scoffed, "I like option one better," he started to head for the window, "Makes more sense. The Ripper was _stabbed_ then shot, had a little fender-bender, ended up in the river, maybe you know, he patched himself up from the ambulance. Survives on acorns and crawfish for sixteen years. So, he just crawled out of the river in a rotting overcoat to take his revenge."

"I'll just call the cops and tell them to keep an eye out..." he trailed off.

Bug reached in his dresser and pulled out a long sharp silver knife and waved it. I silently gasped and sat down on Bug's bed.

"Or not," Alex's voice cracked. "What's that?"

Bug waved it and took a few steps closer, "The biggest knife I could find in the kitchen." He began tossing it back and forth in his hands.

"Bug," he tried to say something else, but was stopped.

"What would you say if I told you I was going to kill you, Alex?"

He hesitated, "I'd say you weren't."

"Why not?"

"Because you're my best friend!"

Bug pointed the sharp tip in Alex's face for a second before handing the knife to him, "Now you ask me."

Alex looked down at the handle pointing towards him. He quickly took it in his hands. He continued to stare at it, "You don't think I could kill somebody?"

"No," Bug firmly responded.

"You'd be wrong, Bug," he twirled the knife and turned it so the tip was facing the ground. "Dead wrong."

I could feel my heart beating hard and my mouth was dry_._

"You killed Penelope and Jay and the others?" Bug questioned.

Alex quickly raised his arm up and stuck the knife into Bug's desk, causing both of us to jump.

"Of course not," he grumbled.

He was silent for a minute, "I killed my step-father."

"You killed Quint?"

"He was drunk. He hit me," Alex's eyes were red and full of tears. He rubbed his slender face and sat down in Bug's chair, "For the first time in my life, I hit him back. He fell down the steps and broke his stupid neck."

I hoped that was the real story behind Quint's death...

"Alex, it's going to be okay," Bug tried to comfort him.

"No, it's not _okay_! What I did... is not okay for everybody to be killing each other all the time!"

Bug walked over and sat down beside me. I hesitantly moved against his side. He looked at Alex, "You want something to drink?"

Alex looked up. I could see the pain in his eyes, "You got rat poison?"

Bug shook his head, "No, we just ran out of rat poison. We're gonna go get you a water," he said and grabbed my arm. Bug patted his best friend's shoulder and pulled me out of the room. I stood in the hallway while Bug walked into the bathroom. He stared at himself in the mirror before rubbing his face. When he looked back up, he jumped and gasped. He couldn't look away for awhile, but he suddenly looked down and reached into the sink. He pulled out The Ripper's knife, which was covered in blood. My stomach churned. The Ripper was in the house.

He flipped the light switch and studied the knife. He rinsed it off and closed it. He swiftly moved his hand to open it again. He look scared. I couldn't blame him. He exited the bathroom and stood beside me, staring down the hall. We heard a noise coming from downstairs. He crept back to his room, "Alex, we'll be right ba—"

Bug paused when he saw that Alex had disappeared.


	6. The Deal

Bug and I stared at each other for a moment. He blinked and grabbed my arm and pulled me behind him to the stairs. We quietly crept down them, not sure what had made the noise. I expected it to be Alex, getting water for himself. Bug slowly pulled the knife out of his pocket and held it in his hand. The front door was cracked open. The cool autumn air had blown in a few leaves. I shivered and held on to the back of Bug's shirt. He walked over and softly shut it with the back of his foot.

When we looked away from the door and walked further into the living room, we saw a man in a overcoat standing with his back turned to us in the kitchen. I bit my lip and my grip on his shirt tightened. It was too tall to be Alex.

"Ripper?" Bug's shaky voice called out.

The man screamed and turned to us, bringing us at gunpoint. Both of us had jumped and took a small step back. It was Detective Patterson, one of the more well-known officers in Riverton. He was the man who shot Abel the night he killed Sarah. He has been working on the case since that night, sixteen years ago. I stood beside Bug now, still holding on to him.

"Son of a bitch," he exhaled. Patterson slowly walked towards us, still aiming his gun. "Drop the knife, Bug." He ordered.

Bug swallowed hard and stared at him. Patterson repeated himself, "Now."

Bug slightly leaned and set the knife on the ground. He then ordered Bug to kick it over to him. He did what he was told this time and shoved the knife in Patterson's direction, who then kicked it further away.

"I'm sorry," Bug apologized, "I thought you were somebody else."

"Get your hands up, both of you."

Bug and I wrinkled our brows, confused as to why we were being treated like we committed a crime. I raised my hands and Bug did shortly after.

"Walk slow."

Bug and I carefully walked towards him.

"Why are you pointing that at us?"

Patterson extended his hand for us to stop, "That's far enough." He paused, "Why? Your phone was found next to Brittany Cunnigham's body."

My heart skipped a beat, remembering Bug's story.

"I-it fell into her purse at school, that was an accident. Y-you can ask my mom."

"Your mom is why I have to arrest you two, Bug," he confirmed and looked to his right.

Bug and I looked over and saw May on the ground. A dark pool of blood surrounded her body and her eyes were closed. I felt sick to my stomach and covered my mouth to keep from vomiting. Tears filled Bug's eyes as he attempted to race to her lifeless side. Patterson blocked him and pushed him backwards to me.

"Stay," he ordered him like a dog. Patterson lowered the gun when he saw the tears and pain in our eyes.

"I was there when they cut you out of your mother," he began. I took in a small breath.

Bug closed his eyes and looked away. Patterson brought back his attention, "Bug, y-you were the one thing that made a whole bloody mess bearable. A fucking mir—"

"Miracle?" Bug interrupted.

"Yes!" Patterson loudly replied, "Something bright in the dark. Ever since, for all of us, you were there, Bug." He explained. "Fuck, how could you do this?"

I looked up at my best friend. His eyes were red from tears and he had gone completely plae. He shook his head, "I didn't."

Patterson looked at me, and I blankly stared back at him. How could he even think Bug and I killed May? She was the one person beside Alex and myself that cared about him.

"Hold out your hands, son," Patterson said to Bug, pulling silver handcuffs from his pocket.

Bug whispered, "Where's my sister?"

"Why don't you tell me?"

Just as Patterson had responded, the lights went out in the house. Bug slowly turned his head, and quickly snapped it back to Patterson. I was clinging to Bug and shaking. From the corner, a tall, bulky figure appeared and shoved a knife into Patterson's back. I gasped and pulled Bug backwards. The figure dropped Patterson, looked up, and revealed his identity. The Ripper.

He looked into Bug's eyes, "It's time."

The Ripper swung at Bug with his knife. We both jumped back, dodging the sharp object. He continued to swing at us and we stepped back into the the living room. Bug tripped on the coffee table, falling on top and breaking it beneath him. I moved to the side and out of the way. Bug rolled, avoiding another stab. He took hold of the couch and kicked at The Ripper. A pillow was thrown into his face, but it wasn't enough to distract him for a second. He cornered Bug and began swiping at him again. Bug grabbed his shoulders and tried to push him away. He ducked when The Ripper took a swing and turned to run, but the knife had sliced his right shoulder. Bug cursed but kept moving. The Ripper shoved Bug into the kitchen.

He came for me next. My eyes widened as he lunged towards me, tackling me to the ground. I screamed for Bug and held The Ripper away from me. He was gripping my shoulder with one hand and attempted to stab at my torso. I flinched and moved to the side, avoiding the attack. He sliced my stomach, which caused me to cry out. I kicked as hard as I could, but nothing was working.

Suddenly, he was thrown off of me by Bug. I was quick to my feet, but almost fell back down after the pain grew in my stomach. I looked down to see blood dripping from my ripped hoodie. I placed my hand against it to help keep myself from losing too much blood. I ran past The Ripper who was on the ground. Bug threw vases and glass bowls onto him and lead me into the kitchen.

We flattened ourselves against the green wall. I was breathing heavily and Bug softly patted my leg to stop me. I sucked in air quickly. Bug slowly poked his head out into the dining area and then stepped out, seeing that The Ripper had disappeared. He returned to me and scanned the kitchen. He discovered a kitchen knife sitting on a table. As he reached to snatch it, The Ripper jumped around the corner and yelled. Bug and I scurried into the next room. The Ripper followed us, laughing as he did. Bug and I dove towards Patterson's dead body. Bug took the gun in his hand and cocked it, but The Ripper had disappeared once again.

"They never should have cut you out of that body," his voice echoed.

Bug kept the gun aimed in front of him. We crept into the next room, still searching for him. I bit my bottom lip to keep from whimpering as we moved into the small hallway leading back to the living room and staircase. Bug turned back around to lead, and was cut by The Ripper, who had popped out from the side. Bug quickly moved to find him, moving into the living room, but he was gone again. Bug turned again as The Ripper ran at him. Bug pulled the trigger, but the bullet had missed and The Ripper was gone.

Four times more, he appeared to stab Bug. He was unsuccessful, and so was Bug. He continued to shoot, and he continued to miss. The gun had run out of ammo and Bug went to drop it. As he did, The Ripper pushed me to the ground and grabbed Bug.

"Fucking piece of shit!"

Bug jumped back from his knife and punched The Ripper in the gut. He fell to the ground and Bug took my hand, pulling me behind him. We ran to the kitchen to find the knife again, but it was gone.

"Where's the knife?" he whispered to me.

Before I could answer, hands covered both of our mouths and pulled us into a closet. Leah shushed both of us and closed the shuttered doors. Light peaked through, giving us a small amount to see each other. She held her index fingers to our lips. The Ripper's shadow closed in on the door as he passed.

Leah shut her eyes as The Ripper said, "Come out, come out, wherever you are."

We heard a door open and The Ripper left to another room. Leah looked at Bug's cuts, "Ew."

"It's not as bad as it looks," he quietly said, nodding to me.

Leah covered her mouth when I removed my hand from my wound. I put it back quickly and winced.

"How'd you get in?"

"I was already in the car. I came inside just to see where May was and I found her... dead."

There was a short moment of silence.

"I knew that fucker would come for us," she shook her head and peaked through the slits in the doors, "Maybe he's gone."

"I don't know, let's go," Bug shrugged quickly and reached for the doors. He moved Leah behind him and quieted both of us. As he tried to explain our escape plan, The Ripper broke through the left side of the closet. I jumped over to Leah and Bug. Leah fell back and her head smacked against the wall. She fell to the ground, out cold. I crouched down and watched Bug shove The Ripper out of the closet and back agaisnt a wall. The Ripper bounced back and grabbed Bug again. The two struggled against each other.

"Die, die, die!" The Ripper yelled out as he tried to knee Bug. He threw him onto the ground and opened his knife. _Click_. He kicked Bug's leg and then his side. "I saved you for last."

Just as he went to slam his knife into Bug's chest, there was a loud thud from upstairs that stopped him. He looked up and waited for a short second. He cursed and spit on Bug and raced upstairs. I called him from the closet.

"Leah, call the cops!"

She grumbled, "Son of a bitch," and tried to sit herself up.

Bug opened the door and was quick to her side. I scanned his upper body. His shirt was torn in different spots where he had been cut, and blood had trailed down the side of his neck.

"Leah, I need you to get the lights on, get out of the house, get to the neighbors and call the cops. Take Lauren with you. You think you can do that for me?"

"No!" I protested. I was not about to leave Bug in this house with that monster. Bug shook his head at me and looked back at Leah, not bothering to argue.

"What are you gonna do?" she asked.

"I'm gonna give that fucker a ten."

She breathed heavily, "Make it a twenty."

Bug and I quickly stood up and booked it to the staircase. We quickly climbed them and stopped once we reached the hallway. Bug sucked in air and stared into the darkness. The Ripper could be hiding anywhere. Suddenly, the lights flickered on. Someone had flipped the power on. Bug and I walked over to his room. He peaked in and saw the knife still stuck into his desk. I followed him inside and he pried the knife from the wood and held it.

He twirled it in his hand for a moment and made his way to the door. I stepped to the side and he stood in the doorway, scanning the hallway. I grimaced at the sight of the large cuts on each of his shoulderblades. There was a sudden, but small, noise in the other room. Bug stepped out and called out for The Ripper. I heard him curse when he couldn't find him. He quickly raced back to me and our eyes met for a quick second.

Bug soon noticed his window was open after hearing the bark of a dog. His eyebrows furrowed and moved towards it. I thought he was going to shut it after looking outside, but he leaned and wiped a spot of blood off of the windowsill. Once he turned around, his eyes landed on the closet door. Blood was smeared on it, as if someone had drug their hand across it to move it. I gulped and stood still. He hesitantly stood in front of it. He placed his hand on the indent to slide it open.

Just as Bug began to open the closet, I heard Jerome yell and he grabbed Bug's arm. Bug had jumped and I watched as Jerome came out swinging and hollering. He began smacking Bug in the head and his shoulders. Bug repeatedly said his name and backed away to stop him, but he kept going. Bug grabbed him and pressed him to the wall, "Hey, hey, hey!" he yelled at him.

Jerome calmed down and began feeling Bug's face to reassure himself of who it was. He then collapsed to the floor. Bug crouched beside him, eyes wide. Jerome had been stabbed in the chest, and blood was smeared down his shirt. He coughed and tried to suck in air. His hands were covering the wound, and blood was covering his hands.

Bug grabbed his arms, "Jerome," he said his name. He repeated it again and Jerome finally spoke.

"The Ripper's up here, Bug. Watch out," his voice faded.

Bug's voice, on the otherhand, was close to breaking and Bug sounded as if he were going to cry, "It's okay, Jerome, he's gone, alright? W-what are you doing here? Y-you're supposed to be at church."

"Alex called me," his voice trembled much like Bug's, "He said all four of us should be to-gether. I was halfway through the window when The Ripper stabbed me.

"How'd he get up here?"

"Must've come up the roof like I did. I passed out on the roof," he gasped for air, "a-a-and I heard fighting. Was that you?"

Jerome coughed again and wrinkled his nose.

"Y-yeah, it was. He was kicking my ass, dude," Bug hysterical laugh was soft.

"I tried calling the cops. I-I knocked over something a-and I heard him coming for me so I dove for the closet."

"You saved mine and Lauren's lives, Jerome."

He almost laughed and he somewhat smiled, "I did?"

"Yeah, h-he was gonna kill me and you distracted him."

Jerome shivered and replied, "Good."

"It's going to be okay. Helps coming, alright?" Bug's voice cracked.

"You fought The Ripper, Bug. You're a hero. I could've told you."

"I-I'm not a hero, Jerome, I'm just..."

Bug paused when he realized Jerome was slowly dying in front of him. Jerome went still and you could no longer hear his loud breathing and gasps for air. I looked away and cursed The Ripper under my breath.

"Jerome," Bug whispered in an attempt to 'wake' him. He shook him slightly and repeated his name. Bug felt his neck for a pulse and found none. His lips were pressed so hard together that I couldn't see them until he let out a shaky breath. Bug slammed his fist down and his expression grew angry. He held back tears and looked at me. Bug picked up the knife and pulled himself to his feet. He walked near his desk and threw the knife onto it carlessly. He stared into a framed picture on his wall.

We both jumped when we heard someone crawl through the window again. Alex looked surprised when he saw us.

"What the fuck happened to you guys?" he raced over to get a better look at Bug and I. Bug's eyes flickered from Alex to Jerome. Alex looked down and walked over to our fallen friend, "What happened to Jerome?" He crouched beside him and his eyes met with Bug's, "He's dead!"

"The Ripper got him," Bug explained. Alex stood up to be with us again, "A lot's happened since you've been gone, Alex. Where did you disappear to?"

"I-I saw Patterson pull up outside and ran in the woods. Then I heard gunshots, so I came back. I was afraid he shot you and Lauren or somethin'. Where is he anyway?"

"He's downstairs. He's dead."

Alex's jaw immediately dropped, "What? What happened?"

"The Ripper happened."

The look on Alex's face told me he was terrified. I blinked and forced myself to look down. I held onto the bottom of Bug's shirt for comfort. He didn't seem to care.

"He killed Mom too."

Alex exhaled sharply, "May," he shook his head and sort of threw is hands up, "I can't believe this."

He pressed his fingers to his forehead, "You went to get me a glass of water," he brought them back down, "and now your Mom, Patterson, and Jerome are dead."

Bug stared at Jerome's dead body while Alex stared at him, "Where were you?"

Bug and I snapped our heads back to look at Alex. Was he trying to accuse Bug of killing them?

"I ran into Penelope."

"Penelope's dead, Bug..."

There was a moment of silence before Bug spoke.

"I saw her in the bathroom mirror," he argued. It was like earlier today when he explained to us that he had seen Jay in the school's bathroom mirror. "She brought me Ripper's knife and she made me take it."

Part of this was true. The Ripper's knife was in the sink. I wasn't sure how it got there, but it was definitely sitting in the bathroom, and Bug had taken it. Bug turned away from Alex and shut his bedroom door.

Bug turned back around, "I heard something downstairs and I went to come check on you and you were gone," he said and stepped towards Alex. "Patterson wasn't after you, he was after me. He thought that I killed Brittany and my mom..."

Alex shook his head in agreement, "And where's The Ripper now?"

"I-I guess he got away out my window. Or went out Leah's."

Alex glanced back at the window.

"Her's is open too. And he tried to stab Lauren and then me to death with his—"

"With his what?"

"His knife."

"I thought you had his knife?"

"I-I did, but..."

Bug paused and Alex continued to stare at him, "Did you kill them, Bug?"

"_What?_"Bug nearly shouted.

How could he accuse Bug of such a thing? Killing his own mother, an investigator, and one of his close friends?

"I was with him the entire time, Alex," I defended Bug, giving Alex the meanest glare.

His eyes landed on me for just a second before he looked back at Bug.

"No, I... I didn't kill anybody. Lauren was with me."

"Not that you remember?"

Bug slightly shook his head and Alex gave him a sympathetic look.

"Bug, I gotta tell you somethin' and don't get upset," he said and came closer to Bug.

"What?"

"My mom told me this. Your father was first diagnosed with Schizophrenia when he was _sixteen_," Bug scowled and shook his head. I wanted to stop Alex, but I couldn't say anything. I knew he was going to tell Bug everything. "Just like you are now."

"What are you saying?"

"It's hereditary. Plus, you were in your dead mom forever. _Oxygen deprivation_. It can make you crazy too. Maybe all this stuff you've been describing didn't happen the exact way you're saying it did."

"_Alex!_" I finally shouted and held onto Bug tighter. He barely paid attention to me.

"You think I'm crazy?" Bug growled, giving Alex the dirtiest look I had ever seen him give anyone.

"N-no, I don't know what I think. But I'm not walking away. I've stuck by you through everything. Nightmares and migraines and puking vultures, when everybody was calling you a ticking time-bomb. Lauren stood by you too. So if you're not innocent anymore, that's okay." Alex laughed, "I killed my step-father today. I ain't no angel neither."

Alex's head turned to look at the window when we heard sirens.

"I-I'm not innocent anymore, Alex."

I stared at him, but his eyes were fixed on the back of Alex's head.

"Not with all of them inside me now."

Alex quickly faced him, "What?"

"With who inside you?"

"The rest of the Riverton Eight," he answered. "Even Jerome."

What did he mean by that? I carefully backed away from Bug and kept my distance.

"All their souls are with me now," Bug almost smiled, but it quickly faded.

Alex exhaled and took a few steps closer, "Bug, maybe you should... sit down and take a few deep breaths."

"You think I'm crazy," he nodded. "I'm actually a lot smarter than I was yesterday. Let me ask you a question." Bug's angry expression was back and he now stood face-to-face with Alex. "Why is there blood in your left ear?"

"What?" Alex quickly asked and brought his hand to feel his ear, confused.

"On top," he corrected.

Bug reached up and grabbed Alex's ear beneath his mess of brown curls. He hissed and grabbed Bug's hand.

"Hey!"

Bug's finger was covered in dark red blood. He turned it to show Alex, who shook his head.

"Almost like you were hit with a vase or something."

The image of Bug throwing the vases onto The Ripper flashed through my mind. I opened my mouth for a silent gasp. Holy shit.

"Brandon told me to look for that."

Alex shut his eyes and shook his head again, "Bug, you are officially batshit nuts. I scraped it climbing up the roof. Come on, let's get real here."

"Jay says that Ripper's getup was a costume for sure."

Alex's expression changed.

"Oh, and Brittany's run a timeline! You would have had enough time to kill Mom, and put the knife in the bathroom sink while Lauren was getting me from hiding under the bed and Leah was waiting outside in the car. And if Jerome came through the window while I was in the bathroom getting you water, you woulda' had time to stab him and go downstairs and kill Patterson."

My stomach dropped.

"You might've tried to kill us too..." Bug's mouth opened as he thought back to when Jerome made a noise upstairs stopped The Ripper from stabbing him. "But if he heard Jerome upstairs, you would have had to get up there, before he called the cops."

Alex shook his head and his tone of voice grew softer, "I could've killed you off earlier, remember? Bug," he stepped around him and stood beside me, "you've watched too many Law & Order reruns." Bug turned to watch him.

"Besides, I'm a little guy. You could beat me up in like ten seconds."

"Unless you have a bad soul in you. And then you felt like you were possessed."

"I can't _fucking_ believe you. You're _Adam Plenkov!_"he emphasized Bug's first and last name separately. "The son of a mass murderer. Everybody in your house, and all your friends, except me and Lauren have been murdered." he was close to Bug now and he pointed to him, "If there's a bad soul here, you have it. And you got it from your father. Maybe you have been in institutions. Maybe you have killed people, just in your last life. But you're too stupid and blind to see that."

"Alex, stop it!" I yelled, my voice almost cracked. He flinched, but chose to stare at Bug.

"Maybe they'll find your Ripper costume buried along with your stupid condor outfit."

Bug had buried the outfit out in the woods, which was why I was sent to find him.

"And they will come for you with torches."

Bug's tongue tripped over words, "Alex, I didn't bury any Ripper costume with my condor."

There was a a small silence before Alex grinned, "_Somebody did_." Alex's voice wasn't even his anymore. It was deeper and older. Completely different and not his own.

Bug's lips parted but pressed back together as he glared at Alex.

"You son of a—" Alex cut Bug off as he stepped towards him and punched him in the jaw. Bug fell backwards and onto the floor.

Alex stepped towards him as Bug stood back up. He grabbed the back of his hair and flipped open The Ripper's knife, "Evil doesn't forget betrayal, Plenkov. You and the other eight Plenkov's ran away from me like cowards. Jumped in the first babies you could hide in. So, I've saved you and your little girlfriend for last. And I'll kill you now in front of her, or you two can say yes to deal."

"What deal?" Bug angrily asked.

"Same one I offered your father sixteen years ago today. Say yes, and you live. Say no, and I'll cut your throat."

"Say yes to what?"

Alex's possessed body released Bug from it's grip and stepped back, "My happy ending of Riverton's fairytale, " he was smiling. "There was no Ripper, just one of the Riverton Eight that was a little crazy, dressed up like The Ripper. Killed your mom, and Patterson, and four his birthmates before the three of us finally stopped him."

"One of the Riverton Eight?"

"The one of the Eight with the bad soul, " he explained and looked down at Jerome. "The Ripper's soul."

"Jerome?"

"Great twist, huh? Everybody will think you were the killer, but it turns out the attack came from a totally unexpected direction."

"You'd lay all this on Jerome?"

"He won't mind. He's dead. I was going to blame it on Lauren Anderson over there, since she was as innocent as you were. But I figured the blind boy would make a much better plot-twist than a little girl. We will all be mainstream heroes, helping each other forge a new beginning, recovering from our tradgic losses. Friends to the end. What do you say?" he asked as he continued to step back with the knife open.

He held his free hand out to Bug after glancing at me, "Deal?"

"You're pathetic," Bug nearly whispered and stepped up to him, "I don't even think you're Alex."

He let his hand fall back to his side and glared at Bug.

"I don't know who you are."

Alex kneed Bug in the groin and then in the face, causing him to fall back against the desk. I jumped and pressed myself against the door. Alex grabbed Bug's neck and got in his face, "I'm the one that's gonna kill you if you don't say yes."

He quickly let go and held his knife towards him, "And then I'll say you did it, kill the bitch, and be the hero by myself."

"Leah saw the whole fight, she'll vouch for me."

"Leah doesn't live through the night, that's part of the deal too."

Bug grimaced and stood back up, staring down at the monster who had taken over our best friend, "Whoever, whatever you are, get out of Alex and go back to Hell where you came from. I mean it."

The two stared at each other while Alex swayed, "Okay... _But I'll take you with me!_"

The two crashed into each other. It all happened so fast. I heard Alex gasp and Bug's eyes grew wide. Tears filled my eyes and I covered my mouth. I watched Bug hold onto him.

Alex dropped the knife and sucked in air over and over.

"I thought that guy would never leave," Alex managed to quietly say in a shaky voice. His voice was back and so was he. The real Alex.

"Alex?" Bug questioned.

Alex continued to gasp for air as he looked at the desk, "Where's the biggest knife in the kitchen?"

"Where it needs to be."

Alex tried to look down at himself and Bug pulled the knife from Alex's torso. Alex cried out and his body went limp. Bug struggled to hold him up.

"Condor?"

"Crow," Bug replied and gently set him down on the floor, where he laid back.

"It's alright, Bug. Feels great," Alex mumbled.

"Feels fucking great," he whispered back.

"Fucking great," Alex agreed.

Bug and I watched and listened as Alex took his last breath and more sirens sounded.

"Fly now," Bug softly repeated the words from their presentation to him.

I dropped next to him, grabbed his face and hysterically cried.

"Alex, no, you can't leave me - no! Don't do this! Please, Alex, don't," I pleaded and begged my best friend to breathe again, but nothing could be done to save him. He was gone. Bug grabbed my shoulders to pull me away. Quickly, I shook him off and reached for Alex again. I sat him up and hugged him. I just cried and held him in my arms.

I held Alex for as long as I could before Bug was able to pull me back. I slowly laid him back down and Bug helped me to my feet. I nearly fell to my knees, but he quickly pulled me to his chest. I tried to shove him away, but he hugged me and refused to let go. My tears soaked his shirt and I finally wrapped my arms around his torso.

After a few seconds, I let go to wipe my eyes with the sleeve of my hoodie. I looked down at Jerome and then back at Alex. The pools of blood stained the hardwood around Jerome and Alex's bodies. I shook my head in disbelief and started shaking. Two of my friends were dead, and one of them was the greatest person I knew. Bug looked up, but not to the ceiling. It was like he was looking beyond that. I buried my face in my hands and whimpered. I peeked through my fingers to watch him.

"I know you're up there, and I know we're down here."

He stared at the knife, covered in blood and dripping. I swallowded hard as the droplets met with the floor.

We heard the voices of policemen outside, ordering for us to open the door. Bug placed a hand on my back and helped me out of his bedroom, leaving the mess behind us.

I winced from the pain coming from my stomach as we trailed down the staircase. Bug stopped halfway for a minute to make sure I could walk. My eyes flickered from the floor to his. He looked emotionless and pale. I had never seen him so pale before...

It seemed like our life was suddenly in slow motion. When Bug's hand reached for the doorknob, my heart sank to my stomach. He had murdered Alex Dunkelman, our best friend. And I witnessed it all. I wasn't sure what would happen to us next. Part of me wished I could've died too, as selfish as that is. I didn't want to live without Alex. And I didn't want to deal with what would be coming next.


	7. The Keeper of the Souls

Bug and I walked out the door expecting him to be arrested that night. The officers ran past us and into the house while another walked up to us and explained Leah had ran next door to call the cops and she told them the whole story. Bug was celebrated as a hero, and I was praised for being there with him. Bug would not be in any trouble for killing Alex, since The Ripper's soul was the one who caused Alex to attack us. Bug fought back in self-defense. The officer pointed to Leah and said she was waiting for us.

"Adam," she called his name and pulled him into a hug. She hugged me next, and then pulled us both into a hug, relieved that we had made it out alive.

"Lauren Elizabeth," I heard my name being called and I snapped my head around to see my mother walking towards me.

"Mom!" I cried as she took me in her arms.

Tears filled our eyes and we hugged for a long time. She ran her fingers through my hair carefully, in case I had been hurt. She choked back more tears to tell me she thought she lost me. I shook my head no and squeezed her.

The entire town, it seemed like, stood around the ambulances and police cars that were parked outside the Hellerman house. The local news interviewed Bug, Leah, and myself. I didn't say much though. I was still shocked. Next, we were informed that we would be taken to the emergency room to be checked out. They wanted us to ride in the ambulance because of the large cut on my stomach, but Leah offered to drive us, which the officers surprisingly agreed to. Mom would be following behind us.

Bug and I crawled into the back of May's black car. He sat on the right side, while I sat behind the driver's side. It was silent for a moment until Bug exhaled and rubbed his face. I moved into the center seat and rested my head on him. Bug put an arm around my shoulder for comfort. I was so close to him, I was all but in his lap. I buried my face into his chest and held onto him. I felt him rest his chin on the top of my head. My hand had no trouble finding his. Our fingers laced and he squeezed softly.

I shivered against Bug's body, taking in all that had happened tonight. I felt sick as I replayed Alex's last words in my head. Tears stained my cheeks and I began to cry. Losing Alex was the worst thing to happen to me. He was the only one who bothered to talk to me when I moved back to Riverton. The one I could fully trust. The one I told my secrets to. The one who actually cared about me and what I had to say, besides my own mother. He was my best friend, and now he was gone. No more sarcastic remarks. No more side-hugs. I would never hear his obnoxious laugh again or his dumb jokes. _Fuck_.

Bug made no effort to stop me from crying. He knew there was nothing he could do. Alex was his best friend too. He had known Alex longer than I had, so I could only imagine how he felt right now. I sat up and stared at Bug. His blonde bangs were pressed against his forehead, damp from sweat and the rain from earlier. His lips were slightly parted just enough to see a tiny gap between them. The blue eyes looked sadder than they ever had before, the corners red from tears and stress. He was a complete mess, but I'm sure I looked the same. Bug exhaled quietly and stared back at me.

I moved myself up and shamelessly pressed my lips to his. Our eyes shut naturally. The ecstasy of the first kiss was overwhelming. Every cliché romance novel and movie was nothing compared to what I felt in that moment. Everyone said your first kiss was supposed to be special. A lot of people had also said it wasn't that exciting. For me, it was the only good thing to happen to me on my stupid birthday. My free hand had made it's way into his hair while my occupied one had let go of his and was placed on his neck. Bug shifted to press our chests together, wrapping his arm around my torso.

I broke the kiss to stare into his eyes again. We were breathing heavily and the heat was building in the back of the car. I swallowed hard and rested my head against his, the tips of our noses lightly touched.

"We're going to be okay, Bug," I whispered, our lips almost met again.

"Yeah," he breathed. "We're going to be fine."

The driver's door opened and Leah sat down in the seat. She turned to see Bug and I staring back at her. I almost expected her to make a comment on it, but she just nodded to us, gesturing to fasten our seat belts. I moved to the middle seat, not wanting to be on the other side of the car. After messing with the buckle, I took Bug's hand.

I nearly lost it when the nurse took me into a separate room the have me checked out. I didn't want to be away from him, tonight was too much for me to bear on my own. I took quick breaths and the nurse asked me to lie down and to try to remain calm.

"I watched my best friend die! You expect me to remain calm after that?" I shouted at her, causing her to jump. She quietly repeated that she wanted me to lie down and left the room.

I followed her directions after a few moments of silence. The white walls made me feel even more ill. Hospitals bothered me like no other. My stomach began to churn and my head was pounding. I let my eyes shut and tried to keep from vomiting, but it just wasn't working. I rolled off of the bed and crawled to the small trashcan in the corner and let myself be sick. Once I had finished, I sat on the floor hugging the round bin. The nurse returned with the doctor and jumped at the sight of me.

The two helped me back onto the table. I was checked out for a few minutes. The doctor told me I was still experiencing shock and that I probably would for the rest of the night. He bandanged my cuts and gave me medicine to help with my nausea.

"Where's Bug?" I managed to ask.

"He's in the other room. He's in the same boat as you. You two will be just fine," he assured me.

I moved to get off the table, "I want to see him."

They grabbed my shoulders to restrain me, asking me to stay seated until my mother was allowed inside. I forgot she was following behind us to the hospital. I shook them off, "I need to see him."

There was a small knock on the door before another nurse opened it. My mother stepped in, her eyes were bloodshot. I held my arms out to her and she held me. She was petting my hair like she usually did when I was upset. I told her I was fine and I started asking about Bug again.

"Where will he and Leah go, Mom? They wouldn't put him in a foster home would they?"

My mother shushed me, "Adam and Leah will be moving in with us. May and I made a promise to watch over the other's children if anything were to happen. And I'm not going to break that promise."

A wave of relief flew over me and I exhaled. She helped me off the table and lead me to the room Bug was waiting in. Once the door was open and his eyes landed on me, he hopped off the table and gave me a hug. He was gentle, in case of bruises and cuts. I didn't care if they hurt, I hugged Bug as tight as I could, keeping my hand away from the large cut on his shoulder. He swayed me a little bit.

"I wish this was just some stupid nightmare," he whispered.

I fingered his soft shirt, "Me too, Bug."

After a half-hour, we were released from the hospital. I forced myself to ride with my mom on the way home, so Bug could be with Leah. But once we were there, I was at his side again. I still felt so scared. We had been through so much in the last few hours, I didn't feel comfortable around anyone else. Leah helped my mother set up the guest bedrooms while Bug and I went to my room. We traded in our damp, torn clothing for sweatpants and tank tops. He changed in my room while I changed in my bathroom. When I returned, he was sitting against my bed on the floor. I soon joined him and stared at the wall.

"So, what happens now?"

I glanced at him, "What do you mean?"

Bug shifted so he could look at me completely, "How are we supposed to go back to school in a few days and pretend everything is okay? We'll have to attend funerals and we're going to live with the fact that I killed our best friend for the rest of our lives, Lauren."

I grabbed his face to calm him, "Bug, listen to me," I whispered, "We are not going to think about that right now."

"What _do_ I think about then?"

My fingers traced his jaw and up to his bangs, brushing them in an attempt to fix them, "I don't know." I barely said.

Bug looked puzzled and leaned closer to me, "Look, Lauren. I know you put up with a lot of - of - bullshit," he struggled to find a word for it, "Because of me, but please, don't leave. You and Leah are all I have left."

I shook my head and almost laughed, "Bug, I could never leave you. Especially not after tonight. But you can't leave me either. We'll get through this."

With that, Bug nodded and shut his eyes for a moment. I pulled him to his feet after standing myself. I flipped the light switch to shut off my lights. We crawled onto my bed. Bug hesitantly put an arm around me and I cuddled closer to him. I rested my head and a hand on his chest. His body was tense for a second, but he soon relaxed and pulled the comforter over our bodies.

We were both half-asleep when my mom opened the door to tell Bug his room was ready. I squinted my eyes and watched. She stopped mid-sentence and smiled to herself before shutting the door. I don't think she had the heart to make us part. Mom trusted Bug and I anyway.

After that, I was restless. I couldn't keep my mind off of tonight. I replayed the entire night in my head again. When it came to the part where Bug had stabbed Alex, I was ready to scream. I realized I was clinging to Bug's shirt. I let go and sighed as I began to trace on his chest. What would happen after tonight? Mom was keeping all three of us from school for the rest of this week, due to the traumatic experience, funerals, and the court date. Thinking about all of this made me feel sick again. We could have died, but Bug saved us. All of this was insane.

"Lauren?" Bug's voice had caused me to stop tracing. I felt bad for waking him.

"Yeah?"

He started to sit up, so I moved to sit with him. We both sat Indian-style, facing each other. It was dark, but our eyes had adjusted and I could see his face clearly. Bug licked his lips, "Why did you kiss me tonight?"

So, he hadn't been sleeping.

"What kind of question is that?" I quietly laughed.

"A serious one," he scoffed. "Did you do it because... well... because we were scared?"

I shook my head, "Bug, no," I scooted closer until our knees touched. "I kissed you because I care about you."

"Caring could mean a lot of different things," he scratched his head, confused as to what I meant.

I took both of his hands and laced our fingers. His palms were sweaty, nervous from his silly question.

"Bug, when I say I care about you, it means more than you being my best friend. I like you, Adam. So please, stop worrying. I promise I'll never leave you."

Bug smiled and laughed softly, "Wow. No one's ever said anything like that to me before."

"Well, I'm glad I was the first."

The room went silent, leaving Bug and I staring at each other. His fingers slide out from mine and he reached up to my face. He nervously tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. Even in the dark, I knew he was blushing.

"I feel like this is a dream. I can't believe you kissed me, or that any of this happened in the first place," he finally said.

There was flash of lightning, a loud crack of thunder came shortly after and the rain had picked up, causing us to look towards the window for a second. He paused before speaking again, "Do you think you could pinch me? Just so I know tonight was real. That all we've been through isn't just my mind playing tricks on me and that our birthday was a normal night."

"I told you to stop thinking about that. But Bug, I'm not going to pinch you. We've hurt enough today."

"Then would you mind letting me take a crack at this kissing thing? That would surely help me believe it."

I raised my brows in disbelief. Bug was going to make a move on me this time? He has never been the type to put himself out there like that. Then again, a lot has changed about him since yesterday, like he told Alex. Bug took my face in his hands and leaned forward. I swore he could hear my heartbeat racing. He brushed his thumb over my cheek. He quietly admitted he had no idea what he was doing. I whispered for him to do what felt right. Bug wrapped his arm around my middle and pushed up closer to him. I placed my hands on his chest for support and waited for him to continue. Bug's heart was beating as fast as mine had been. Finally, he pressed his lips to mine.

He kissed me again and again and again. He wasn't stopping, and I wasn't going to either. Bug pulled me into his lap, I wrapped my legs around his hips and my fingers tangled into his hair. My eyes started to water. I don't think I could explain why I was if he were to ask, but he kept quiet and didn't break the kiss.

_This was real_. Tonight, on our sixteenth birthday, five of the Riverton Eight had been murdered, along with May Hellerman. Bug and Leah Hellerman, and I, Lauren Anderson, survived the wrath of The Riverton Ripper. The boy I've adored for almost a year was kissing me. Despite all of the terror, tonight at two in the morning, it was peaceful.

Bug pulled away, "I believe it."

I flashed him a tiny smile, and shortly after, I ordered for us both to get some rest. Lord knows we needed it.

For awhile longer, I stayed awake. My mind wandered back to Bug, who had quickly fallen asleep. I admired his messy blonde hair and the way his lips parted while he slept. If someone told me that on my birthday I would put up with the spirit of Abel Plenkov, survive, and end up with Bug Hellerman, I would have laughed in their face. But here I was, cradled in his arms in my bed, alive and well.

He was the bravest man I had ever met. He put up with Brandon O'Neil's rude comments and punches for years, along with Leah's constant namecalling and evil doings. He didn't show emotion when he was told May had adopted him. He had the courage to put an end to the nightmares, even though it meant killing his best friend.

Bug Hellerman is the condor. The Keeper of the Souls. He eats death for breakfast. He lives in a house of blood, and he accepts that. That's all a man can do. He didn't feel like a hero at all. But if it made Riverton feel safe at night, he'll fake that he is their hero. And he'll fake it good. Alex wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
